1. Field of the Invention
This invention is designed to replace what is now known in the Railroad Industry as the "Breakaway" railroad highway crossing gate.
2. Prior Art
When a railroad highway crossing gate system is activated due to the presence of an approaching or work train shunting the track circuit, the gate-arm is driven down from a vertical to a horizontal position by the Mechanism 17 through its operating arms 18. When down, the gate-arm takes a horizontal position across and perpendicular to the highway. The "Breakaway" Gate is designed to break away from its "holder" when enough pressure is applied through contact with vehicles either deliberately or by accident. This break-away feature is accomplished through the use of shear pins which normally hold the gate-arm 20 in place. When the shear pins shear, the gate-arm falls to the ground. While the gate-arm is on the ground, it may sustain damage before it can be reinstalled sometime later by maintenance personnel. Also, while the gate-arm is on the ground, the crossing is presumed unsafe since the gate-arm system was installed for safety reasons. In addition, while the gate-arm is on the ground it could be damaged beyond repair and must be replaced with a new gate-arm along with the cost of time and labor to restore the arm to the crossing system.